Kodiak Attack!

Oh baby! It was an exciting weekend!
It was also bitter sweet...

Just in case you don't know -

CAA

WON THE WWU SOCCER TOURNAMENT!!!

Josh's freshman year they were 4th
Sophomore year 3rd
Junior year 4th
Senior year 1st!!!!!!!!!!!

These guys played UNBELIEVABLE soccer! It truly was amazing to watch their focus, their effort and their skill! The passing was so much fun to watch! These boys have been playing together 10 years and it shows!

The competition was stiff and I happened to be sitting right next to a dad from the opposing team...Who couldn't stop bragging about how amazing their team was and how fast his son was and how no one had beaten them and they were so amazing blah, blah, blah..............

I just smiled and nodded...

As the game continued he would comment oh #such and such is really good
and # so and so is really good...
and he just kept commenting until he had named every player on our team...
That's right because everyone of them are AWESOME!

It was a hard fought game and we started out behind...
At the half we still hadn't scored...
It was STRESSFUL!
I was terrified we would lose
Then when we tied it up I was terrified it would go to a shoot out...
Which it has every other year which is incredibly stressful!
Then with only minutes left in the game we scored!

They earned it!
It was such a joy to be part of this with them!
Possibly the most impressive accomplishment was the fact that they took first place and the sportsmanship award! Truly impressive! It has seemed in the past that the sportsmanship award is given to the teams that have no hope of winning...
Not only do our kids have AWESOME skills they are also AWESOME people who play with compassion and heart!
I could not be prouder!

I simply cannot let any of them graduate!
I have a plan...I will fail all of them in my government class... ;)

Frychik

*I was entirely too nervous to take any pictures of the championship game...
All pictures are from previous games or after the championship game.

Top 10

Yesterday I went for another solo ride...
It was windy so I really missed Jeff!
He's awesome to draft behind :)

Riding can be challenging...
It would be so much nicer if there weren't any cars...
Most drivers are nice...
Some are too nice!

Those that fall into the too nice category-

-drive really, really slow past us - please don't do that...it just prolongs the time we are together and stresses me out
-Gets so far over in the oncoming traffic lane that you risk a head on with another car - really its not necessary if you could just scooch over in the lane so you are hugging the middle line we have enough room

Other drivers are not nice!

-Honk when right next to me
-Trys to get as close to me as possible while passing at 50 miles an hour
-Shares various hand signals with me
-Shouts various words that are not at all encouraging

For the record there are many reasons why we (bikers) may not be as far over as you (drivers - although I realize none of you reading this fall into this category and for that I thank you!) would like us to be.

Top 10 Reasons Why Bikers aren't ridding on the shoulder...

10.  Cars often park on shoulders

9. Trash of all sorts - please don't be a litter bug!

8. Bushes, weeds- when your riding by at 20+ it feels like razors!

7. Pedestrians who walk on the same side as bikers we are the ones that go out into the lane...

6. Rough! The shoulder is often breaking apart or not worn down at all so its very rough to ride on.

5. Loose gravel - this can take a biker down in a hurry and its amazing how much gathers on the shoulder!

4. Dead animals and animal parts - yuck!

3. Construction signs - they fill up the entire shoulder so you have to weave out into traffic to get around.

2. Low hanging branches

1.  There is no shoulder! - Most of our roads just don't have a shoulder to ride on but we do try to stay as far over as possible.

And that's why we aren't on the shoulder :)

Frychik

A getaway

Busy Busy Busy!
Gone, Gone, Gone!

But this time we ran away together!
I find myself thankful when all four of us are in the car together...
I find myself thankful when we all sit down to a meal together and there is conversation and laughter...

It is getting harder and harder to find those moments...
So we ran away for 34ish hours to try to find some of those moments...

This was the first picture I took on our minivaca.  We are at CPK which makes the boys very happy.  I LOVE this picture.  I think they are two of the most handsome guys EVER!

We headed to Seattle and took the ferry across to Bainbridge Island...
We have had the opportunity to visit Seattle and Bainbridge several times in the month of Sept. and it is always delightful! The weather has never failed us yet!

I love the island.  It is so laid back and calm and the big city of Seattle is just a short ferry ride away...its the perfect balance.

Being wise parents we let the kids sleep and we took off for a morning jog around the island - a spectacular way to begin the day! We then browsed a farmers market - the picture above are not cherrys they are apples! So cute!

Then we woke the little darlings up and took them to our new favorite breakfast place on the island...we discovered it last year with our friends Darrel and Connie.  Very yummy!

Not sure what happened here...Ty asked him to hold his hat and it suddenly converted my husband into a gangster...

Then we took the ferry over to Seattle - the weather was cloudy but no rain and just the right fall temperature!



Josh doesn't look so tall when compared to the tallest man in the world!
We browsed Pikes Place, I picked up a chai and then we headed to Crystal Mountain and Mt. Rainer

We took a gondola ride to the top. At one point the fog was so thick the cables were just disappearing into the mist...thankfully it was clear at the top.

 However, Mt. Rainer remained hidden behind some haze...I wished we could have stayed until the sunset but my boys weren't interested...

They were interested in french fries and hot chocolate!

Enjoying the view...

And then we drove FOREVER to get home...

It was quick but it was worth it.

I'm sure gonna miss them when they are gone...

Frychik

PS- All of these picture were taken with my phone

Riding a bike

Yesterday I was lured into a trap...

I work with two very strong bike riders...
Well actually that is an understatement I work with one very strong bike rider and another RIDICULOUSLY STRONG bike rider...

As much as I've ridden I have come to realize that it makes me very nervous to ride without Jeff...
If I'm feeling crappy I know Jeff won't mind...
Jeff loves me and regardless of how I ride that day he will support me...
And if I don't want to climb a nasty hill I can whine and we can change our route...
Jeff will change my tire if it goes flat...
Jeff can give me the much needed pep talk as my lungs are burning and my legs are begging for mercy...

When I ride without Jeff I feel very vulnerable...

However, the sun is going down earlier which means its almost dark when he gets home leaving us no time to ride...

So I have a choice
1.  Start running...
2.  Ride alone...
3. Ride with others who are much stronger than me...

This week I choose options 2 and 3

On Monday I rode alone...
I rode one of the toughest (hilly) loops we do and it was 90+ degrees outside
I made it but I was covered in goose bumps halfway through making me wonder if I was having heat stroke...but thankfully no flat tires (I'm a kept woman I know!) and when I did collapse at home (haven't ridden in 3 wks) I had that lovely feeling of accomplishment...

Wednesday I rode with the boys...
My two colleagues had invited a fourth to join us...
He won a bronze medal in Seoul in the para-Olympics...
He rides with his arms...

Which made me feel like a big fat baby...
They pushed me...
I wanted to quit
I wanted to whine
I really wanted to avoid hills!

and when I got home I collapsed and had that lovely feeling of accomplishment...

Go out there and accomplish something!

Frychik

41 teenage girls...

My job as a teacher has led to many interesting experiences...

Yes, I stand before a class of students and lecture...
Yes, I give quizzes and tests...
Yes, I have shhhhhhh'd my share of kids over the years...

But what makes my job really special are the trips...
The many, many trips...
The trips where I leave the comfort of my bed and sleep with a bunch of noisy, energetic teenagers in some far flung location...

Last weekend was Girls Club Camp out 2012

Since I'm a teacher here is a quiz for you

Which of the following happened on this years camp out

a) The sun was sunny and the wind did not blow
b) A sneaker wave just about took my camera and every lens I own...
c) A sneaker wave did get my telephoto lens
d) I was awakened at 2 am and told we had missing girls
e) Missing girls were found in boys shower room...
f) I took great pleasure in waking missing girls at 6:30 am to do various chores...
g) We had an amazing time
h) All of the above


Answer: h


Frychik

Thank you?

Have you ever thanked someone for something you weren't really thankful for?

For example

 - A police officer as they hand you a ticket?
-Your children when they deliver the laundry to the laundry room?
-The technician who just squashed your breasts between two pieces of metal?

It has been a hectic transition from the peaceful solitude of my summer to the classroom craze...

This week in addition to teaching I had/have two major school events to plan and my first assignment in my latest Masters class due...

And at some point I decided to throw a mammogram in for good measure....

On Monday I had my appointment scheduled...I knew this because I had put in the calendar in my phone, written in my planner and I had received a reminder call...

Monday was the day before the school picnic where I had planned to go to Merwin Park - I planned to take 140 people to Merwin Park right up to about 1 pm on Monday when someone casually mentioned to me that Merwin Park was under construction....

Thanks Mom for dropping everything and heading up to Merwin to check the park out...as I rushed to "squeeze" in my mamo feeling a bit stressed but determined to get the appointment over with so I could cross it off my to do list...

I arrived and attempted to check in.  They asked for my name, paused, typed, asked for my birth date, paused, typed and then smiled and said "I'm sorry we don't have you on the schedule" What?  I explained about the reminder call and she said "we don't do reminder calls" Huh? Who called me? Where was I supposed to be?

The woman was so helpful she called another location and I wasn't on their schedule either...she pointed out that it had been 4 years since my last mamo and I pointed out that yes, the last experience wasn't so great so I decided to spread them out a bit...

With the mystery unsolved they kindly directed me to an appointment phone so I could get myself on the schedule for another time...as I sat there on hold a manager came over and offered to slip me in!  What a doll! Suddenly all I wanted in the world was to have a mammogram done right then!

Within 15 min. I was standing in a room with a stranger with the girls hanging out as she gently lifted, smoothed, tugged and then squashed with all her might...I'm not gonna lie it hurt!

But after she had finished side two I smiled and said "Thank you so much!"

:)

Frychik

PS - Thank you for those who commented last time :) Its reassuring :)

10 things...

1.  Last week was CRAZY!!!! Next week will be too!

Man this cartoon speaks to my heart!

2. I'm now 44.....

 3. School has begun! I'm now teaching 4 classes at CAA as well as SA sponsor and yes that is still PT with no subsidy...

4.  We have 134 students!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 20 over budget :)

5.  I have a Senior..........I have a goal to take a picture of him every school day this year...I think I already missed Friday...





6.  My kids opened for Jars of Clay and did an AMAZING JOB!




7.  I have begun my 4th Masters class....1 week down 15 more to go....

8.  My husband is now 46....I've loved him since he was 18 :)





9.  I'm transitioning from biking to running...days are getting shorter

10.   I hope to keep blogging if you keep reading :)



Frychik